I am excited to share this next installment of "Not On Our Watch": Conflict - How to navigate it with love. Many of you may not know this, but my beloved and I have mentored couples throughout our marriage.

Influence is our focus in this week’s installment of “Not On Our Watch.” Defined as “the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something,” the influences in our children’s lives certainly deserve our attention - and intentionality. 

I hope you'll indulge me in a brief exercise; imagine you and I have never met. If I were to approach you in a coffee shop today and ask you who you are, what would your response be? Seriously consider this question for a moment. If you were scripting your 15-second elevator pitch, what would you say? 

Today marks the conclusion of our Rooted series. I have enjoyed sharing what we, the faculty and staff of Fellowship, hope to impress upon your children. In pursuit of our vision to inspire students who live with purpose and lead with intent for God's glory alone, our steadfast desire is to help mold students who reflect Christ as Truth Seekers, Image Bearers, Bridge Builders, Servant Leaders, Creative Thinkers, and ultimately, Kingdom Influencers. 

Earlier this week, seven of our school leaders attended the CESA Symposium in Houston, TX. The theme of the conference was being "Impact Players" in our schools and beyond. Author and speaker Dr. Tim Elmore led one of our favorite sessions in which he addressed generational dynamics and how we can champion the differences. In this context, Tim stated, "We must build bridges of relationship that can bear the weight of truth.

If you’ve ever heard of a town called Point Comfort, Texas, then most likely, your mom or dad worked for ALCOA. Growing up in small-town America was all I knew until my dad was transferred to London, England, where I attended high school - and met Jesus as my Savior.

In light of the events of this week, I reflect back on this year with gratitude, as well as hope for the future that we are creating by investing in the hearts of the next generation. I encourage you to take every opportunity this summer to teach your children the truth of God’s goodness (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).

We are approaching the finish line of the 2021-2022 school year. As I reflect upon it, there are so many reasons to celebrate. Our students have mastered a rigorous curriculum, growing intellectually and preparing for their next steps.

God designed our senses to take in and make sense of the world around us.  To enjoy the pleasures He designed for us in the proper ways and at the proper times.  As the adults in our children’s lives, it’s our responsibility to ensure that whatever is imprinting our children’s minds is age appropriate and aligns with God’s character.  

Have you ever told someone to "give it a rest!"? Or perhaps someone said that to you before? Usually, that statement conveys a point of tension or conflict and we simply want the other person to "let it go." This past week, I had to encourage myself to rethink and reframe what it might mean to give it a rest, with the it being my mind. 

Whether through the worship music I’ve been listening to or my current Bible study, God has been repeatedly impressing upon me the importance of gratitude. 

If it hasn’t already, at some point following Jesus may cost you something: a friendship, a career, a relationship with a family member, a community you love, personal ambitions or plans.

One spiritual discipline that God has embedded in my life since I first became a Christian at the age of 15 is consistency in reading His Word. I am currently spending my quiet time in the book of Exodus, and I am so grateful for the prompting and encouragement I’ve received from God’s word. There have been two passages that have created a stirring in my own heart.

Understanding God’s agenda, salvation for all His children, perhaps we could consider that maybe we are asking God the wrong question. Maybe our question should not be, “God, what is your will for my life?” Perhaps the desire of our hearts should request, “God, use my life to fulfill your will.

We have all heard the story in John 8 of the woman delivered to Jesus by the Pharisees. She was accused of adultery, and the Pharisees, grounded solely in truth, wished to see her publicly stoned. Jesus responded saying, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” (John 8:7) While at first glance, his response may seem to exhibit only grace, when we read further we see his gentle rebuke in truth. In John 8:10-11, this happened:

When we relentlessly hold fast to our perspective, we must ask, “At what cost?” Are we willing to discard a relationship for the sake of being “right?” Because we are in Christ, our desire should be to expand our relationships for the sake of having dialogue, kingdom impact, godly influence and even, perhaps having our opinions changed.

It is inspiring to be a part of a community whose faith is alive and active. Thank you for being an encouragement to all around you. I pray that, through your love and compassion, God will continue to provide you with the opportunity and influence to lead others to Him.  

One of the current initiatives of our faculty and staff is to establish mentor relationships where we encourage one another to pursue a growth mindset. The impetus for a growth mindset is to recognize that hard work and dedication can help to improve skills and talents, thus building resilience and creating a love of learning. With this school-wide emphasis, I have been reflecting on how embracing a growth mindset can be modeled for our children, as well as how this aligns with Biblical Truth. How do we model a biblical growth mindset in our daily lives and what guidance can the Word of God provide? Let’s consider this together. 

As we approach the holiday season, I, along with my faculty and staff, always eagerly anticipate the break, as I am sure you do as well. It is a chance for us to pause from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives and reconnect with our family and friends

Unique and equal. In His Image. These two powerful and distinct statements say a lot about who we are, who we belong to, and God’s overwhelming love for us. He created us uniquely and loves us equally, never assigning greater value to one over another.

Over the past 18 months, a lot has happened in our country that has, most likely, provided opportunities for many of us to engage in difficult conversations. I want to encourage our Fellowship family to not shy away from potentially controversial conversations, but to continue to engage with one another in order to foster understanding of perspectives.

Did you know that the human brain can process more than 36,000 visual messages in an hour?

I am sure, if I asked, that you'd remember exactly where you were at 8:46am on 9/11/2001.

I was teaching a dozen 10th graders in an English class just a few miles from Dulles National Airport near Washington, D.C.

Last Friday, a longtime Fellowship parent and devoted volunteer dropped by my office to deliver an unexpected gift. She presented me with a beautiful print of Psalm 91. Today, that print proudly and prominently hangs above my desk. This gift serves as a great source of encouragement to me, especially as I reflect on the fact that many in our faithful, Fellowship family have been and continue to pray this Psalm over our community, country, and the world at-large.

Today, I am excited to introduce you to our new CFO/COO, Clay Irwin. Clay comes to us from Equifax.

This week, I would like to introduce to you our new Head Varsity Football Coach, Tim McFarlin.

Today, I would like to introduce you to our new Head of Academic Collaboration and Culture, Joel Hazard. 

In 1859, Anna Bartlett Warner penned the famous lyrics, “Jesus loves me, this I know.” While I’ve sung this song thousands of times, those three words, “this I know,” recently made me pause to consider exactly what I know.